Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (18 page)

             
"
Look
at
them,
Thomas,
"
Captain
Blackwood
said.
"
Neither
has
spent
much
time
at
sea
recently
I
would
wager.
Their
canvas
is
new.
See?
It
shows
harbour
weathering
and
their
gun
crews
are
slow
on
the
loading
by
the
sound
of
their
salute.
"
He
raised
his
hat
in
response
to
the
frigate
Captain
'
s
elaborate
flourish
as
their
quarterdecks
passed
adding
as
the
great
ensigns
returned
to
the
peak
of
the
spanker
gaff,
"
You
may
stand
the
men
down
and
then
I
think
it
is
time
for
a
little
more
gun
drill.
I
shall
want
the
ship
cleared
for
action
in
under
ten
minutes
this
time.
"

             
Lieutenant
Bell
smiled,
"
I
believe
we
may
achieve
that,
sir.
"
He
saluted
and
turned
away
calling
to
the
nearest
Master
'
s
Mate.
"
Harrison.
Stand
the
men
down
,
then
I
shall
want
you
to
beat
to
quarters.
I
want
the
ship
cleared
for
action
in
nine
minutes
but
do
not
open
the
ports
until
I
give
the
order
to
do
so.
"

             
"
Aye,
aye,
sir.
"
The
Master
'
s
Mate
raised
his
pipe
to
his
lips
and
sounded
the
'
Stand
down
'
then
followed
it
with
the
bellowed
order,
the
cry
being
taken
up
throughout
the
ship.

             
Mister
Bell
watched
as
the
men
descended
from
the
rigging
or
made
to
return
to
their
previous
tasks.
The
Spanish
ships
were
still
hull
up
as
he
nodded
to
the
waiting
Master
'
s
Mate,
"
Beat
to
Quarters!
"

             
The
rattle
of
the
drum
sounded
loudly
enough
on
the
Quarterdeck
and
was
picked
up
as
the
other
drummer
boys
began
to
beat
their
own
tattoo
on
the
decks
below.

***

             
Ferghal
heard
the
drum
and
quickly
stowed
the
shirts
he
had
been
carefully
folding
into
a
canvas
hamper
the
Sailmaker
had
provided
for
the
purpose
of
carrying
the
midshipmen
'
s
laundry.
Carefully
he
stowed
this
in
a
safe
place
where
they
would
not
be
soiled.
Then
he
raced
to
the
hold
to
receive
the
fittings,
furnishings
and
other
items
struck
below
when
the
ship
cleared
the
gundecks
of
everything
not
needed
to
fight
the
guns.
He
arrived
even
as
the
first
items
began
arriving
and
when
finally
everything
he
and
the
other
boys
could
stow
had
been
pushed,
pulled
or
lashed
into
its
place,
ran
with
the
others
to
collect
his
sand
bucket
and
sand
the
deck
around
his
guns.
With
this
task
complete
he
raced
below
again
to
collect
the
pair
of
wooden
cartridge
buckets
he
was
required
to
bring
to
the
guns
he
served.

             
He
reached
his
station
at
the
Number
eight
gun
just
as
the
order
was
given,
"
Open
ports
and
run
out.
"
He
skidded
to
a
halt
and
waited,
out
of
the
way
of
the
recoil,
as
the
gun
crew
hauled
on
the
tackles
and
dragged
the
heavy
gun
up
to
the
port.

             
"
Nine
and
a
half
minutes,
"
wheezed
the
Fourth
Lieutenant.
"
Not
good
enough,
not
good
enough
by
a
long
way,
you
mark
my
words,
we
'
ll
be
doing
this
again
and
again
until
you
fellows
get
it
done
in
under
nine.
"

***

             
On
the
Quarterdeck
Harry
heard
the
First
Lieutenant
report
to
the
Captain,
"
Nine
and
a
half,
sir.
With
your
permission
I
shall
get
it
under
nine
minutes
now
we
have
weather
more
conducive
to
drills.
"

             
"
Very
well,
Mister
Bell,
see
that
you
do,
"
Captain
Blackwood
acknowledged,
"
I
know
I
may
rely
on
you.
Secure
the
guns
and
the
ship;
we
will
exercise
again
after
dinner.
"

***

             
Harry
entered
the
Gunroom
in
time
to
hear
Eamon
Barclay
say,
"
Someone
'
s
been
in
my
sea
chest!
There
'
s
a
purse
gone
from
the
Ditty
box.
"
He
slammed
the
lid
down
and
locked
it,
the
clean
shirts
Ferghal
had
placed
upon
it
not
five
minutes
before,
now
scattered
across
the
deck.